Ten Essential Online Freebies

Want something for nothing? Check out these websites, offering a variety of free services and nearly-free products. You can snag yourself some free software, e-cards, grocery coupons, and advertising, to go along with a free professional networking group where you can meet other self-employed entrepreneurs.

My top ten are:

1. VistaPrint.com- Offering business cards, stationery, rubber stamps, personalized message pads, T-shirts, labels, promotional give-aways, etc. they currently have an offer for 250 business cards for "free". The "catch" is that you do pay a nominal fee for shipping. I've used their services for many years and find the quality of the printing excellent, and the website easy to use while designing your own cards. Their website can be found at: www.vistaprint.com.

2. Download.com- Offers free software and shareware to try, and you have the option to buy it after you use their free trials. The "catch" is that usually the freeware will expire in 30 days and you'll have to buy a copy of it or you cannot continue to use it. The advantage of this type of software is that you can try it out to see if you will utilize all its functions, without having to waste money on buying it if you can't use it.

Tip: When purchasing software I would advise against downloading it directly onto your computer for two reasons. If you do not have the CD with the software on it, and the download won't open or is corrupted, it is more difficult to get a credit for the software unless you can prove you have downloaded it onto your computer. Instead, order a hard copy of the software on CD, so you can always reload into your computer if you lose the program because your CPU crashes. And, if you have to return it, you have the physical item to ship back, so you can get your credit or a replacement CD. Their website can be found at: www.download.com

3. MyPoints.com- This is an attractive program because it delivers selected e-mails from brand-name vendors to your in-box, and you choose which emails you want to read, earning points without having to buy anything. These points can be redeemed as credit for services and brand name goods; from car rentals and travel coupons, to gifts of candy, gift baskets and more. Sears and other major clothing retailers are involved in the program, as well as hardware stores, cosmetic companies like Lancôme and Avon, Netflix, EBay, and Blockbuster, to name a few. Their website can be found at: www.MyPoints.com.

4. Care2- Offering free E-cards, as well as updates on environmental issues, eco-friendly vendors, and donations to environmental causes, human health and human rights. Other areas of the website offer Green News, networking groups, e-cards, and shopping sites. Their website can be found at: www.Care2.com.

5. WritersWeekly- A free writer's resource published every Wednesday, with informative articles by professional writers and editors, an exhaustive listing of available freelance jobs, and products/services for professional writers. Their website can be found at: www.WritersWeekly.com.

6. Free Professional Networking- Ryze.com is an amazing business networking website offering free and paid memberships with a basic web page and ample opportunity to connect with vendors, clients and business resources all over the world. Their website can be found at: www.ryze.com.

7. Free Grocery Coupons online- At Coupons.com and SmartCoupons.com you open a webpage that offers you up to 60 coupons at a time, in a few minutes you can click on the coupons that you want printed from your computer. Instead of having to paw through tons of newspapers to find the coupons that I need, I can simply click and flip through several pages of coupons at a time, then print out only the ones that I need on recycled paper. I save an average of $17-$25 per weekly shopping trip with the club card from my grocery store and my coupons! Their website can be found at: www.Coupons.com and www.SmartCoupons.com.

8. Free spell checker for your online correspondence and network posts- Go to www.iespell.com to download free software that will spell check everything from your e-mails to your network posts. I have downloaded the software several times for several different computers and never had any problems with either the download or the software. Their website can be found at: www.iespell.com.

9. Earn Free Vitamins- If you use Nature Made brand vitamins, every time you make a purchase you can go to their website and register your purchases to earn points. After your first 500 points you earn $5 toward your next purchase of Nature Made vitamins. You end up receiving a free bottle of vitamins that you already buy. Their website can be found at: www.NatureMade.com.

10. Free business listing online- I just joined this listing service so I don't know how effective it is, but it is free! Their website can be found at: www.superpages.com.